The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in collaboration with the Small Arms and Light Weapons Community Development Service (SALWCDS) and Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has launched an awareness campaign on the proliferation of small arms at the Abujan Mai Mala IDP camp and Mohammad Gombe farming community.

The joint ceremonial event will focus on small arms proliferation, hygiene, and food support for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other vulnerable populations in the Northeast, comprising six states.

The North East Director of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). Maj-Gen. Abubakar Adamu (rtd), represented by his Assistant on Strategic Communication and Information (SCOI), urged the thousands of IDPs living in  communities to maintain love, peace and unity for the nation, despite the harms they have sustained in the conflict..

The non-proliferation of small arms, themed; “Promoting Health and Peace in Our Communities” is to effectively tackle the lingering issues of unlawful weaponry, so as to achieve a safer and protected Nigeria.

The Team Leader of the SALWCDS, Bulus Seth Kazachat, explained that the group’s objectives are to educate the displaced communities on the dangers of small arms, promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and provide essential resources to the IDPs in the Northeast region.

He said, “Our expectation is that after sensitizing them on the risks, they are to report any suspicious activity.

“If they see anyone wielding unlawful weapons, they should notify the military and other security agencies in their respective communities for prompt action.

“We are also striving to improve their situation, but we cannot do it alone with state aid. Thankfully, SEMA in Yobe is also supporting our efforts, but we are appealing to the authorities for more assistance.”

Beyond the fight against the proliferation of small arms, Kazachat stated: “Our aim is to assess how we, alongside other security personnel, can stop the illegal influx of weapons into Nigeria.

“The harmful guns and light arms have inflicted on the land is clearly evident in most of conflict-affected communities in Borno, Adamawa, Gombe and Yobe states.